Sunday, April 20, 2014

Brian and I started off our weekend on Friday dyeing Easter eggs! It was just the two of us at the kitchen table while Hope was taking a little nap.

We had so much fun choosing colors - and then mixing colors - there were no rules!

We also told each other funny, made up stories and had a lot of laughs. Brian is developing quite the imagination and he is so much fun to 'hang out' with!

We also remembered last year and I reminded him how we made marbled colored eggs with shaving cream and food dye. And how Gavin got shaving cream everywhere - even in his ears!! We really missed Gavin as we were decorating the eggs.

There were all kinds of fancy ways to decorate the eggs in the kits I bought - ways that involved paint and stencils and sponging and more. Brian chose to put Star Wars stickers on his eggs.

I did not put up a fight. Although we did save a few to decorate for Hope with glitter and butterflies.

In the end, every egg was a masterpiece and Brian was very pleased. In our house, dyeing the eggs is pretty much it. Brian can't eat straight eggs - only if they are in something like baked goods. So I tell him that we leave the colored eggs out to show off to the Easter Bunny when he comes by.

On Saturday we had an extra special treat! Ed's sister, Kat, and his Aunt Mee Ling came to visit!

Kat lives in Connecticut in the town where she and Ed grew up. After their parents died when Ed was 11 and 12, Kat raised him. She was a phenomenal "Mom" to Ed. (Mee Ling's brother was Ed's Dad)

Mee Ling lives in New Jersey and she shared the ride down from there with Kat. It's always good to see Mee Ling - we were really excited for her to meet Brian and Hope! And, as you can see, they fell in love with her instantly...

It was great for Brian to get to know his Aunt Kat! They had a "ball" playing with a ball and paddle toy she brought for him.

But the happiest one of all? Ed. He was thrilled to have his family here. And even more excited when they planned an entire day of cooking together!! Ed was eager to learn some new Chinese dishes from his Aunt Mee Ling. They spent much of the afternoon cooking and chatting.

They were making Bean Curd Soup, roasted chicken with scallion dip and honey ham and chinese sausage fried rice.

While the soup was cooking, Mee Ling brought out boxes filled with jewelry for Hope and Brian. She even had jewelry for me - and a tie bar that was Ed's Grandfather's. Hope got a gorgeous jade baby bracelet. Brian was very excited to get a jade necklace.

Brian was really into everything Mee Ling was telling him - and he's still talking about it today.

Ed has a jade necklace that his Grandmother gave him that he wore for years up until recently! Receiving a piece of jade from a relative like this is very, very special.

In the midst of all the excitement our little bunny, Hope, turned 20 weeks old!!

She is getting so big. And curious! This week she's watching everything... she studies me when I'm eating, talking and drinking. When she nurses - she stops constantly and wants to sit up, look around to see if she's missing anything and then she hops on back down. It's a riot.

She's laughing and smiling SO much more!

And her biggest smiles are still for Brian - he's a big help whenever I want to take her picture!

Her eyes are still blue, which is amazing. She's very fair, too, like me! She's a little chameleon... in some photos she looks Chinese and in others she looks like me!

But mostly, she looks like her sweet happy self all day long.

Happy 20 weeks, Hopi Doo!!

It was nearing dinner time and Ed and Mee Ling started on the fried rice. Did I mention that Ed was in Heaven?

It was an amazing meal.

We were very sad to see them go and we vowed that it would not be long before we got together again. It was such a great day - for all of us!!

That same night...the Easter Bunny came!!!!!

Hope's very first Easter basket was filled with fun toys...

...and so was Brian's with the addition of a small amount of candy!

He couldn't wait to get downstairs to see what the bunny had left him...

...and he was quick to remind me that I told him he could eat one piece of candy before breakfast. He got a big kick out of that dramatic rule change!!

The first thing he wanted to do, though, was the Easter Egg hunt. The Easter Bunny hid plastic eggs around the house filled with coins!

He raced around and opened the eggs to find pennies and nickels and dimes and quarters for his piggy bank.

I really let him go to town on the candy today. I figured he could eat it all today - in one shot - and not beg me for pieces every day for two weeks.

So all of us pretty much ate candy all day. I have to admit - it was awesome.

We got in our Sunday best and got some beautiful photos outside. Sometimes looking at these growing children takes my breath away. I feel so lucky (I really do) and can't believe that they're mine sometimes. Brian is growing and changing before our eyes and he's just such a special child. He's sweet and compassionate, funny and imaginative and he loves all of us so much.

He was such a great brother to Gavin - and he's an extraordinary brother to Hope. I know there are great things in store for this child.

It's only been a year since Gavin died, but I find myself wondering how he would have changed in one year. His looks... his progress... I'm sure he would be walking confidently if he was still here. And perhaps we would have seen even bigger progress - like a word or two or even feeding himself solid food. Who knows.

But I do know how grateful we are that he is safe... and free... and happy where he is... and whole. As much as we are devastated that he is gone... we are grateful for the promise of hope. We know we will see him again someday and when we do, it will feel like no time has passed at all.

Hope arrived just in time... not just for our little family, but for the world.

2 comments:

You have such beautiful children. I am so thankful to you for sharing this. The pictures are amazing. And sharing your thoughts of the day were so good to read. I just found your site recently through another grief site, and it is amazing to read your journey. I couldn't find what happened to Gavin, but I am sorry for your loss. I know you are all at peace that he is with Jesus and that he is completely healed and can still see you. Love you all. <3

I have a boy turning five next week and a baby girl born on nov 27! I love watching them grow too and love your appreciation of the children's personalities already. I'm jealous that you have "recorded" so much of your kids' day to day lives in your blog because I definitely have not. I'm so sorry about Gavin's death. Happy Easter!

Who I Am...

Hi! I'm Kate. I'm a positive thinker, an amateur blogger, a jokester, and a reality TV junkie. I'm also very lucky to be a stay at home Mom to Gavin and Brian. I have a husband that has a big laugh, a big heart and a big talent for cooking. (Thank God) Our life is not always easy, but it turns out it's more than I ever dreamed it would be. I write about Gavin's disability, his miraculous progress, Brian's successful recovery from a peanut allergy and a speech delay, my Rheumatoid Arthritis and infertility journey and our crazy, incredible, roller coaster of a life. I also remember and honor our daughter, Darcy, who we met after 5 1/2 months of my pregnancy.

I feel honored that you're here to get to know us.

Want to know more? Click on each link under the pictures at the top of the page to read our stories...

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Gavin's Playground Project

Gavin's Playground Project was born from my desire to see an "All Abilities" playground built at Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. This is the hospital where Gavin spent a lot of time during his life... and where he ultimately died, surrounded by friendly and familiar faces. To mark the one year anniversary of his death, I held a fundraiser on April 5, 2014. You can read all about it in THIS post.

We raised a LOT of money, but not enough for a playground! If you would like to contribute to help make this playground a reality - so no kids will ever have to sit on the sidelines watching their peers play - you can contribute directly to the hospital through the Chasing Rainbows fundraising page HERE. Your donation will go directly to the hospital for the playground and is tax deductible. You can also create your own fundraising team page and start collecting donations in honor of anyone you want!! There is also a mailing address on their page if you prefer to mail a check. Designate your contribution in memory of Gavin Leong - or write in that this is for the playground so your dollars will go to the right place. Thank you for your support of Gavin's Playground Project!

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Gavin's Trust Project

I created "Gavin's Trust Project" to help support Gavin's friends who receive services from the Chester County Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania. I wanted to continue to try to "make the impossible... possible" for kids like Gavin, knowing well how hard it can be to get much needed "special needs" items. It makes me happy to know that even after his death, Gavin continues to help others. Click HERE to learn more about the Trust Project! All of your donations, big and small, will be added to Gavin's Trust Project to help therapists and teachers get what they need for children in this program. You can write a check made out to CCIU and mail it to: Chester County Intermediate Unit, c/o Deb Hiller, 455 Boot Rd., Downingtown, PA 19335. Please be sure to add "Gavin's Trust Project" in the memo. Thank you on behalf of me and my little superhero!